Human Performance Research Assistant (Physiologist)

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K plan with company match

Medical, dental, vision

Flexible spending account

Paid time off

Professional training and development

Job summary

KBR, partnered with NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, seeks an Exercise Physiology & Countermeasures Research Assistant to advance human health and performance for exploration missions. You will support the EPC team, validate countermeasure systems, and help transition research into operational use.

Responsibilities include designing data‑acquisition systems, coordinating studies, preparing IRB protocols, and contributing to conditioning programs for crew readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physiology, kinesiology, exercise science, or related field with ~5 years of relevant experience.
• Experience conducting human health and performance research with physiological monitoring or analysis.
• U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency.

Responsibilities

• Support EPC team in advancing human health and performance for exploration missions.
• Design, implement, and maintain data‑acquisition systems for testing.
• Coordinate human research studies, scheduling, and stakeholder integration.
• Prepare IRB protocols, test plans, readiness reviews, and progress reports.
• Ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance across studies.

Skills

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Data acquisition systems

Experimental design

IRB & regulatory knowledge

Communication with crews

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in physiology

Master's degree (desirable)

Job description

TitleHuman Performance Research Assistant (Physiologist)

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR! Around here, we define the future. We are a company of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers. But we all share one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely. On the Human Health and Performance Contract, we are at the forefront of safeguarding astronaut health, ensuring human performance, and advancing technologies for human space exploration. We are seeking an Exercise Physiology & Countermeasures Research Assistant at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX.

What You’ll Do

In this role, you will support the Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures (EPC) team in advancing human health and performance for exploration missions. You will help transition research into operational use, validate exercise countermeasure systems, and support human‑performance testing in laboratory, analog, and field environments.

Your primary interfaces will span the NASA Human Health and Performance Directorate, Flight Operations, engineering groups, crewmembers, clinical personnel, research collaborators, and human test subjects.

You Will

• Support project leads in implementing research activities outlined in EPC strategic roadmaps
• Coordinate human research studies and engineering evaluations, including scheduling, logistics, and integration with study teams and stakeholders
• Prepare study documentation such as IRB protocols, test plans, readiness review packages, and progress reports
• Design, implement, and maintain data‑acquisition systems for physiological and performance testing
• Perform equipment setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and monitoring during tests and evaluations
• Collect physiological and performance data during research studies, operational training, and analog missions
• Support validation of exercise countermeasure hardware, wearable sensors, and human‑system interaction technologies
• Contribute to development of conditioning programs and performance protocols for crew health and mission readiness
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements
• Complete all assigned training and perform other duties as required

What You Bring

You bring experience leading research and operational activities in human performance environments. You use your experience and judgment to coordinate complex studies, ensure data quality, maintain safety standards, and communicate effectively with multidisciplinary teams including astronauts, clinicians, engineers, physiologists, and researchers. You comply with KBR’s Safety, Health and Environmental Plan, Quality Plan, and all safety policies and procedures, and complete all assigned training.

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physiology, kinesiology, exercise science, or related field, plus ~5 years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of graduate education and experience
• Experience conducting human health and performance research, including physiological monitoring and/or kinematic analysis
• U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency

Desired

• Master’s degree in physiology, kinesiology, exercise science, or related field
• Experience evaluating hardware such as wearable sensors or health‑related equipment
• Experience conducting operational studies of human performance or human‑system interactions, especially in spaceflight or analog environments

Your Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple JSC directorates
• Ability to communicate effectively with human test subjects, astronauts, engineers, and clinical personnel
• Strong organizational skills and ability to support multiple concurrent projectsAttention to detail and understanding of human‑performance capabilities and interactions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard PC tools
• (Desired) Familiarity with NASA HHP, human spaceflight operations, exercise countermeasure systems, human‑systems integration, spaceflight analogs, and NASA standards (e.g., NASA‑STD‑3001)

What To Expect

This position is expected to be 100% on site at NASA JSC. Occasional travel may be required.

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to an ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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